Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Amor Dark Pink’

ABSTRACT

A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Amor Dark Pink’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with pink ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date September 4-9; blooming for a period of 7 weeks.

Related cultivars: ‘Amor Dark Pink’ is related to ‘Amor’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 13,046). ‘Amor Dark Pink’ is a color mutant of ‘Amor’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Amor Dark Pink’ is a product of a breeding and selection program whichhad the objective of finding color mutants of ‘Amor’. The new plant ofthe present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofchrysanthemum plant that is a natural occuring sport of a parentchrysanthemum named ‘Amor’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,046). A comparisonwith Parent chrysanthemum ‘Amor’ is also made in this application. Thenew cultivar was discovered as a sport in September 1999 by RobNoodelijk in a controlled environment (greenhouse) in RijsenhoutHolland. The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Amor Dark Pink’ wasaccomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initialselection in October 1999 in Rijsenhout Holland. The new cultivar hasbeen found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successivepropagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the petiole and foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under naturalday length and temperature and planted week 22 in 2000 and 2001. Thenatural blooming date of this crop was September 4-9 (week 36). Theaverage height of the plants was 32-38 cms. No growth retardants wereused. No tests were done on disease or insects resistance orsusceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought resistance. Thisnew variety produces medium sized blooms with white ray florets and awhite center blooming for a period of 7 weeks.

When ‘Amor’ and ‘Amor Dark Pink’ are being compared the followingdifferences and similarities are noticed: The differences of ‘Amor’ and‘Amor Dark Pink’ are (1) the flower color (2) flower size and ray-floretform. All other characteristics of ‘Amor’ and ‘Amor Dark Pink’ aresimilar.

(1) ‘Amor Dark Pink’ is a color mutant of Amor, bearing dark pink bloomsinstead of pink blooms.

(2) Flower size and form. The flowers of ‘Amor Dark Pink’ are smallerand the ray-florets are more tubular with a spatulate tip.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Amor Dark Pink’ as a new and distinct variety. The colordesignations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

Table 1: Botanical Description of Cultivar ‘Amor Dark Pink’

Bud:

Size.—Medium; cross-section 1.2 cm, height 1.0 cm.

Outside color.—Red 54 C.

Involucral bracts.—2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm.

Involucral bracts among disc-florets.—Not present.

Involucral bracts color.—Green 138 B.

Bloom:

Type.—Decorative.

Height.—High, 3.0-3.5 cm.

Size.—Medium.

Fully expanded.—4.7-5.3 cm.

Number of blooms per branch.—Approx. 5 blooms per branch.

Performance on the plant.—7 weeks.

Seeds (if crossed).—Produced in small quantities, ovate Grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm in length.

Fragrance.—Typical chrysanthemum, slight.

Color:

Center of the flower.—Immature Red-Purple 63 A. Mature Red-purple 63 A.

Color of upper surface of the ray-florets.—Red-purple 63 C.

Color of the lower surface of the ray-florets.—Red-purple 65 A.

Tonality from distance.—A mounded decorative garden mum with dark pinkblooms.

Color of the upper surface of the flowers after aging of the plant.—ToRed-Purple 65B.

Ray florets:

Texture.—Upper and under side smooth.

Number.—180-210.

Cross-section.—Concave.

Longitudinal axis of majority.—Incurved to straight.

Length of corolla tube.—Long, 1.1-1.4 cm.

Ray-floret margin.—Entire.

Ray-floret length.—2.5 cm.

Ray-floret width.—0.4-0.6 cm.

Ratio length / width.—High.

Shape of tip.—Spatulate.

Disc florets.—Not present.

Reproductive organs:

Stamen.—Not present.

Pollen.—Not present

Styles.—Thin.

Style color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Style length.—4 mm.

Stigmas color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Stigma width.—1 mm.

Ovaries.—Enclosed in calyx.

Plant:

Shape.—Grown as a spray-type pot-mum, outdoor mounded and round.

Growth habit.—Spreading.

Growth rate.—Moderate.

Height.—32-36 cm.

Width.—35-40 cm.

Stem color.—Green 138 B.

Stem strength.—Strong.

Stem brittleness.—Present.

Stem anthocyanin coloration.—Present, a thin layer of greyed-red 181 Amainly at the base of the stem.

Length of lateral branch.—From top to bottom 12-13 cm.

Lateral branch color.—Green 138 B.

Lateral branch, attachment.—Weak.

Branching (average number of lateral branches).—Mounding and prolificwith 9 breaks after pinching.

Peduncle length.—4.0-4.5 cm.

Peduncle color.—Green 138 B.

Natural season blooming date.—September 4-9.

Foliage:

Color of mature leaves.—Upper side green 138 A. Under side green 138 B.

Color of immature leaves.—Upper side green 138 A. Under side green 138B.

Size.—Small; length 6 cm, width 5 cm.

Quantity (number per lateral branch).—12-14.

Shape.—Oval.

Texture upper side.—Glabrous.

Texture under side.—Pubescent.

Venation arrangement.—Palmate.

Shape of the margin.—Serrated.

Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes.—Acute.

Margin of sinus between lateral lobes.—Diverging.

Shape of base.—Asymmetric.

Apex.—Mucronate.

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties (when grown under thesame conditions) ‘AMOR DARK PINK’ ‘AMOR’ Color of the center of theRed-Purple 63 A Red-Purple 74 B flower Color of the upper sideRed-Purple 63 C Red-purple 74 C op the ray-florets Flower size 4.7-5.3cm 5.0-5.5 cm Ray-floret corolla tube Long, 1-1.4 cm Medium, 0.9-1.1 cmRay-floret shape of tip Spatulate Pointed

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant asdescribed and illustrated.